Is There Any Truth in Your Other Stories?
by Emma.Leigh.Lu
Summary: I stared out the window towards the sea, smiling to myself as I thought of this alternative to sitting here for the rest of my life.   "Jack…"
1. Chapter 1

[Type text]

A/N: ok, so, this is my first Pirates fic, and I hope you like it!

Disclaimer: I don't own Pirates of the Caribbean, only the occasional character that I make up.

Is There Any Truth in Your Other Stories? 

_Thump-thump. Thump-thump. Thump-thump._

"I can't take much more of this," I whispered to myself for the hundredth time. I'd been sitting in this little cottage for six months, staring at the chest, listening to the quiet pounding of his heart, whishing myself away every second. I could barely stand the six months of isolation, how was I to survive the next 9 ½ years? _Well, what are you going to do about that, then? _

"I don't know! I don't know…." I mean it's not like I could just burry the chest and go off on some adventure for the few years, could I?

_Can't you? _That little voice asked again. _It's not like you're betraying him. Would he really want you to sit here for the next 9 ½ years? Wouldn't he rather you had a little fun? _

"I suppose…." I answered, not really sure where my inner voice was going with this. "Where do you intend I should go? I don't have a ship…" _Ah, but you know someone who does! And he would gladly take you aboard. _

I stared out the window towards the sea, smiling to myself as I thought of this alternative to sitting here for the rest of my life.

"Jack…"

*3 Months Later*

"Cap'n!"

I was staring at the ceiling, making pictures out of the little lines in the wood. A ship. A chest. A heart. Long hair. Beautiful Lizzie…

"Cap'n!"

I snapped out of the trance the wood had put me in and sat up. I looked around my cabin and out the small window. It looked to be around midday, nice and sunny, no trace of a storm. So why was I being woken up? I got up and walked over to the door that Gibbs was banging on. I worked to put on my best angry face.

"Cap'n, you're up!" His smile faded from his old face as he took in my expression.

"Mr. Gibbs. I know you didn't just wake me from blissful sleep just to tell me good morning. What in the name of all that's holy do you want?"

"Uh… Oh! Cap'n there's someone on deck who wishes to see ya."

I couldn't remember making port, so the fact that someone was on deck surprised me. "Ah. Well, who is it and how did they get all the way out here?"

"Well, Cap'n, we picked 'em up in a small boat about ten miles from a little island. As to who it is..."

"Yes, Gibbs?"

"They'd be wantin' to tell ya everything for themselves, so you'd best be getting up on deck." He looked away from me, as though trying to conceal his amusement at my being out of the loop.

"Alright, I can take a hint. Let's go." I stalked off before him, determined to put this fellow back into his boat as soon as possible.

*2 Hours Previous*

I'd been out here in the ocean for a month, searching for the Black Pearl. I wasn't sure where I was, or where the Pearl might be, but I just couldn't stand being in that little shack all by myself. Every morning I'd search the horizon for those familiar black sails, and every day I'd see nothing but clear blue sky meeting the blue-green ocean in all directions. But I knew that one way or another Jack would find me. He always does. Today, for some reason, I felt increasingly optimistic. And I guess it was my lucky day.

The sun was just barely overhead when I saw that wonderful ship. At first I thought that it might have been an illusion, but the closer I got the more amazing I felt. Once I could see the people clearly, and stood up.

"Hey," I called, "over here!"

I was immediately assaulted with cries of 'man overboard', and then once they saw who I was, the cries turned more friendly and I felt my heart swell with the prospect of seeing old friends again.

"Miss Elizabeth," I heard Gibbs call, "is that really you?" a ladder was lowered down so that I could board the ship.

"It's really me, Mr. Gibbs," I answered, "although I can hardly believe it myself."


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: I'm so sorry for taking so long to update! Life is just crazy, you know? Well, anyways, I hope you like this… reviews, please! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC… though that would be awesome, huh? **

…

Elizabeth's POV

I don't know how many ways I imagined meeting with Jack again before this moment. Even standing here on the Pearl waiting for him to come to me had me thinking. Would he be surprised? Probably. Excited? Possibly. Would he ever let me know he felt that way?

Most likely not.

One of the things I disliked the most about Jack was that he couldn't properly express his feelings; he always had to say something in a way that made me want to slap him. Maybe I'm being to harsh. Maybe he just can't say it, that he's afraid of rejection?

Listen to me, going on about this; I don't really care. Or do I? No, I don't; I love Will. I belong to Will. I do not have any feelings for –

Ah, here he comes! Do I look ok? Maybe I could sneak a peak into the water and- did I really just think that? Wow, something's wrong with me.

"Elizabeth?"

The sound of my name coming off his lips made the weirdest feelings arise in me. I forgot how much I really liked Jack; he always made the clouds go away when I was feeling rather down. He was just so upbeat; plus, the fact that he'd given up his one chance at immortality to Will just made me feel even more grateful for him in my life.

Wow, I really need to get my mind off of this.

"Hello, Jack," I said in reply, and stepped forward to shake his hand. He hesitated for the briefest of moments, as though he didn't believe that I was actually there. Then, with an amazing amount of force he grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug, something very unlike the Jack from my memories. Had we been apart so long that his whole character had changed?

"Lizzie," he said, letting me go and pushing me back to get a better look at me. "You haven't changed a bit."

"Neither have you," I said to him, trying not to let all the stares of the crew members bother me. "But it's definitely been too long."

"I agree," said Jack, turning me around and putting his arm over my shoulders to walk with me. "It's been, what, about six months?"

"Six months and fifteen hours, to be exact," I answer, and even I hear the sadness and desperation in my voice. Jack gave my shoulders a slight squeeze, and I like to think that if we hadn't been on deck for everyone to see he would have given me some encouraging words as well. "But enough about me," I said, trying to lighten the mood that my comment had brought upon us "what's been going on with you?

"Nothin, really," he said, shrugging. "Just been tryin to find the Fountain of Youth, steerin clear of Barbossa. The usual."

"The usual," I repeated, a slight smile touching my face and his. I really loved it when he smiled.

Where did that come from?

"So," I started, but I couldn't find anything to say to fill the silence. Jack looked at me with questions in his eyes, but after seeing that I was struggling to find words, he laughed.

"I know, I know," he said, "I'm not the best conversationalist. But please, don't feel that you have to fill ev'ry silence that comes between us." He said this in such a businesslike manner that I just about lost all control I had over the laughter threatening to burst out. It felt good to laugh. Every doubt I had about coming here was washed away like footprints in the sand once Jack started making me laugh.

Everyone was starting to stare even more, and I was afraid of people getting the wrong idea, so I left Jack to go and talk to Mr. Gibbs. I noticed that Jack's faced looked a little hurt that I would just leave him, but I didn't think much about it. I was married, happily married, and I was only here to get out of that prison I'd been left alone in. I didn't have feelings for Jack, and, though he may have joked about it, he didn't have feelings for me.

If only I'd known what was about to unfold.


	3. Chapter 3

**Ah, finally, an update! And it didn't take me five weeks either, lol. **** Hope you like! Reviews please! **

**Disclaimer: I don't own POTC… or Jack Sparrow… but that would be awesome!**

Elizabeth's POV

…

The next few hours were pretty uneventful; I said hello to everyone, had some rum, ate a little of Mr. Gibbs' special soup. The only thing that I feel worth mentioning is the way Jack treated me; he ignored me after I walked away from him earlier in the day. I didn't really pay him much mind, I was too busy catching up with various crew members, but when he walked by me without even glancing my way, I literally felt the cold blowing off his shoulder. I didn't know what to think about this; what had I done that was so bad he felt the need to act as though I didn't exist? I leaned over the edge of the ship, admiring the reflection of the stars on the water, when I suddenly got very nauseated and heard someone call my name at the same time.

"Miss Elizabeth!"

Mr. Gibbs was walking briskly my way, business plastered all over his face. I wondered briefly what this was all about, but then the nausea kicked in again, and I had to take a deep breath and clear my mind before it would subside.

"Miss Elizabeth, I have prepared a room for you, if you would be so kind as to follow me down below." He said it as though he was very proud of whatever the room held for me. It took me a few seconds to respond, and when I opened my mouth to say something, the sea sickness finally had its way with me.

Thankfully I was standing right by the edge, so I didn't defile Jack's beloved Pearl; I wasn't going to hear the end of sea sickness anyway, I didn't need making a mess on that list as well.

Mr. Gibbs went to get Jack, who, as it turns out, knows quite a lot about the medical world. Jack took one look at me, seemed to hold back a laugh, and then got me a cup of some tonic or other that immediately settled my stomach.

Mr. Gibbs and Jack both escorted me to my room and made sure that I wasn't going to be sick again before leaving me. I immediately fell asleep when I had lain down; I didn't even notice anything about the room except for the two lanterns lighting up the way to a bucket that had been placed next to the small table under the porthole.

I closed my eyes, surrounded by darkness, and slept peacefully for the first time in months.

...

The next morning, I awoke with a start; I'd been dreaming that Will had come back to the island and hadn't found me there. He then stormed all the seas searching for me, turning into Davy Jones. Will was about to kill someone (I couldn't tell who they were, the lighting was all wrong) when someone knocked on my door and drew me out of my frightening dream.

"Elizabeth?"

Hearing Jack's voice really forces me to wake up; I don't want him to see me like this, all tired and bothered. I hear Jack's feet shuffle outside the door, and I know that if I don't answer him soon he's going to come barging in here.

"Yes, Jack?" I answer, trying to sound nonchalant as possible after waking up from a nightmare.

"Are you all righ'? I thought I heard you callin' out…" he trailed off, as though he was afraid for me. Why should he be worried? He shouldn't. I'm not his responsibility.

Then I remember that I'd been sick the night before, and that he'd given me something for the nausea; maybe that can cause nightmares?

"I'm fine, Jack," I say, trying to keep my tone light. "Just had a nightmare is all. I'll be up in a few minutes."

He hesitated, and I could almost see the disbelieving look on his face. Why would I lie to him?

Oh. Yeah. I let him die once. No one is ever going to let me forget that, either.

"All righ'," he said, and hear him walking a few steps away. I breath out a sigh of relief, but it's too soon. Jack is suddenly backtracking, and quickly. "Are you absolutely sure? I swear I heard you yelling about someone attacking you." I look at the door, watching the doorknob twist ever so slightly.

"I'm getting up, I'm getting up!" I shout at him, throwing back the blankets and scrambling out of bed to go open the door. I have the satisfaction of seeing the shock on his face of my outburst before his face once again became the sarcastic mask I'd grown to like so much.

Wait. I didn't mean it like that. I just meant that it's the familiar face that I knew. Forget I said that.

"What?" I ask, trying to sound as annoyed as possible.

"Nothin'," he said, "just wanted to make sure you're ok. Breakfast is served."

And he walked away without a backward glance.


End file.
